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Kaushik Basu opens Spring Seminar Series

India stands at the crossroads, with its economy poised to take off. Yet it faces formidable challenges rooted not just in its economy but also politics, and society. This lecture will draw on the author's own experience as Chief Economic Adviser to the Indian government during 2009-12 and his subsequent policy work in the World Bank to discuss India's big hurdles and how it is likely to handle these. The lecture will also draw on the lesson learned from other emerging economies.

Kaushik Basu is Professor of Economics and the C. Marks Professor of International Studies. He was formerly Senior Vice President and Chief Economist of the World Bank, 2012-16, and Chief Economic Adviser to the Indian Government, 2009-2012. From June 2017, Basu has taken over as President of the International Economic Association for a three-year term, 2017-20. A Fellow of the Econometric Society, Kaushik Basu has published widely in the areas of Development Economics, Industrial Organization, Game Theory and Welfare Economics. His two most recent books are An Economist in the Real World: The Art of Policymaking in India (MIT Press and Penguin Random House) and Beyond the Invisible Hand (Princeton University Press). The former is available in Chinese and the latter in Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, and Russian translations. His next book entitled The Republic of Beliefs: A New Approach to Law and Economics, is to be published by Princeton University Press in Spring 2018.